Sarafan Keep
Locations article |image=SarafanKeep.png |caption=The Sarafan Keep in the [[Era following Blood Omen|era following Blood Omen]], as depicted in Blood Omen 2 |introduced= Blood Omen 2 (2002) |appearances= Blood Omen 2 }} The Sarafan Keep'' is a playable location in Meridian , seen in Blood Omen 2. ''House of my Enemy (chapter) takes place in the Sarafan Keep. Profile The Sarafan Keep was a dominating walled fortress overlooking Meridian, Blood Omen 2 Maps at Nosgothic Realm. it was presumably the headquarters of the Sarafan and the home of the Sarafan Lord . The Keep was first seen in the opening video to Blood Omen 2 where Kain's army is shown to meet the Sarafan Order just outside of the walls of the Keep. With the battle lost, Kain was knocked off a cliff to his apparent demise . Two centuries later, shortly after Kain's revival, the CabalVampire Umah was captured in the Industrial Quarter by Sarafan guards, who took her to the Sarafan Keep for imprisonment and execution. Cabal Vampire: "The worst has befallen. Forgive me, Sire. Umah has been taken."//'Vorador:' "Taken? How?"//'Cabal Vampire:' "Umah was searching the main building in the Industrial Quarter as you asked. I stood guard outside. She whispered to me that she had found something important."//'Vorador:' "What was it?"//'Cabal Vampire:' "I do not know. Before she could tell me, she was discovered by Sarafan Knights. I went to help her, but there were guards everywhere. I could not reach her. I heard them say she would be brought to the Sarafan Keep for public execution." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. This necessitated Kain travelling to the Upper City to learn of the secret entrance to the heavily guarded Sarafan Keep from the Bishop of Meridian. Vorador: "Our kind cannot approach the Keep; we would be instantly discovered. You have the power to disguise your presence. But the chief entrance to the Keep is far too heavily guarded. You must speak with the Bishop of Meridian."//'Kain:' "A Bishop allies with us?"//'Vorador:' "The promise of immortality can be very persuasive, for a Bishop whose faith in an afterlife is…wanting. The Bishop knows a secret entrance to the Sarafan Keep. You will find him in the Upper City. Tell him I sent you, and he will give you access to the Keep."''Crystal Dynamics. ''Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Vorador: "Kain, it is Vorador. You must reach the Bishop’s manor at the other end of the city. Only he can give you passage into the Seraphan Keep. The curfew has set in, so be careful on the streets. The guards are looking for anyone suspicious, and will attack you on sight."''Crystal Dynamics. ''Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Kain: "Old man? Do you live?"//'Bishop:' "I…yes. Yes, I do. I must thank you for destroying…that fiend. He robbed me of my mind."//'Kain:' "He was a novice. Bishop, I require your help. Vorador has sent me to gain passage to the Sarafan Keep. One of our associates is held captive there."//'Bishop:' "A fool's errand, to enter the very maw of the beast. But yes, I will help you. I will take you there, I will show you the entrance."''Crystal Dynamics. ''Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Kain entered the Keep Vorador: "Well done, Kain. You have entered the Sarafan Keep at last."//'Kain:' "Not without difficulty. I encountered another old friend on the way. Marcus."//'Vorador:' "I see. Then may I assume that another of the Sarafan Lord's Guardians have fallen?"//'Kain:' "You may."''Crystal Dynamics. ''Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Chapter 5:Sarafan Keep:House of My Enemy "With the Bishop's help, you have entered the Sarafan's Keep. This innermost sanctum of the Sarafan, normally reserved for the nobility, is swarming with Knights. It won't be an easy place to infiltrate, but if Kain doesn't find Umah quickly she will be executed (and her secret information will die with her)." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Blood Omen 2 (2002). Page 40. ISBN 0-7615-3774-0 through the servants quarters and made his way through the opulent and luxurious Sarafan Keep, he was briefly stopped by a female Cabal Contact who demanded the death of nobleman Artemis, before he was given access to the upper levels of the Keep Noblewoman: "Greetings, vampire."//'Kain:' "You have mistaken me, madam, for some…thing I am not."//'Noblewoman:' "Don’t waste my time. I know what you are. I work for the Cabal. Now listen carefully."//'Kain:' "Speak, then, madam"//'Noblewoman:' "The woman you seek is held in one of the upper towers."//'Kain:' "Very good. How do I get to her?"//'Noblewoman:' "Not so fast. You will need to pass this ward gate, and you will need me to open it for you."///'Kain:' "Then do so at once!"//'Noblewoman:' "In due time. First there is another task that must be completed. "//'Kain:' "What task?"//'Noblewoman:' "A noble of some importance is visiting the Keep at this moment. He must be killed."//'Kain:' "So that you will open the ward gate? Do you think me a fool? Open it!"//'Noblewoman:' "He must be killed, I tell you. He is a traitor. He has done immeasurable harm to the Cabal. I swear it."//'Kain:' "Do I look like a common assassin?"//'Noblewoman:' "The ward gate will not be opened until that man is dead. I promise you. His name is Artemus. You will know him by his blue cloak. When he is dead, when his lying tongue has been stopped, I will open the gate, and not before. Will you do it?"//'Kain:' "Apparently I have no choice."//'Noblewoman:' "Go, kill him, Kain. Rip out his cruel heart. Return when the deed is done." Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. to find Umah,imprisoned behind Ward gates on the roof. Vorador: "I sense that Umah is being held in the uppermost reaches of the Keep. You must hurry, she is to be executed soon."''Crystal Dynamics. ''Blood Omen 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (March 19, 2002) Transcript. Ojective 1: Locate the prison where Umah is being held "You have limited information regarding Umah's whereabouts. No doubt she is being guarded by high-ranking Sarafan soldiers, prevented from using her powers." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Blood Omen 2 (2002). Page 47. ISBN 0-7615-3774-0 Breaking her out he was confronted by the (Soul Reaver wielding) Sarafan Lord, but before Kain could be harmed, Umah teleported them to Sanctuary. "The Sarafan Lord is armed with the Soul Reaver. Nevertheless, Kain's thirst for vengeance leads him to attack. Umah will have no part of it, however, using her power to transport you to safety.//Back in sanctuary, Umah tells Vorador that she found a portal being held open by the Nexus Stone. This stone is the only defense against the Soul Reaver, and was worn by the Sarafan Lord when he defeated Kain 200 years ago. Kain needs no persuading to go after it." Prima Games. Prima's Official Strategy Guide to Blood Omen 2 (2002). Page 46. ISBN 0-7615-3774-0 Notes *Maps show the Sarafan Keep as backing onto the cliffs that surround Meridian, possibly slightly raised so it overlooked the rest of the city. Given its appearance in the opening video (which is known to be inaccurate in some respects), it is possible that the Keep has been standing for at least two centuries, though it is unknown what the status of Meridian itself would have been at this time. The map seen in the opening video, appears to use the Sarafan Keep and its walls to represent Meridian as a whole, perhaps indicating the Sarafan Keep as the beginning of Meridian, given later maps it appears that the initial battlefield between Kain's army and the Sarafan Order may have been the peninsula that became the Lower /Upper City areas. *The Sarafan Keep is lavishly decorated, with a number of large icons and murals; The Sarafan Symbol is once again prominently displayed on floors, walls and on lamps (so the symbol is 'projected' onto nearby walls), there are also two new variants of the symbol one a double (reflected at the top) sarafan symbol, the other a large golden icon with a fire and a 'red eye' design in the crutch of the symbol. Interesting murals include a design on Kain's defeat by the Sarafan Lord (seen in the opening video), impaled vampires (wearing costumes similar to Kain's 'One Shoulder' attire, and the Sarafan Lord (armed with the Soul Reaver and using a Lightning attack) apparently taking revenge on the remains of the Vampire army. There is also another mural which may hint at theElder wars, with two (apparently Human ) figures holding up a Sarafan symbol and impaling a third winged creature with their spears (the mural is however, partially obscured - it may just be a bunch of feathers) . *The Sarafan Keep has a number of interesting rooms; there are several basement areas (which are apparently frequently breached by Thieves ) and a battalion of Sarafan Guards has set up bunks here; there is a swimming pool/cistern (which contains a number of suspicous skeletal remains); A Dungeon/Prison (that has only two Chained Human prisoners); Dining/Banquet Rooms; Offices and quarters (for nobles and servants). The towers, both contain four 'boiling oil' cauldrons suspended over the stairs, and a nearby 'armoury' has two giant crossbows set up. Much of the highest levels contain references to astronomy; there are several images which appear to show drawings of a solar system (though like the Moon in Blood Omen 2, these may simply be copied from real-world Ptolemaic systems ), the room in which Umah is held also seems to be used as an observatory, with prominent Sun (embedded with the Sarafan Symbol) and Moon symbols and a large telescope . *The Sarafan Keep houses some bat-life on the lower levels. Lower levels also demonstrate the Sarafan Keep may not be run on Glyph Magic like much of Meridan, but instead seems to use a type of geo-thermal energy; extracting hot rocks from beneath Nosgoth's crust . Gallery SK-SarafanLamp.png|A Sarafan Lamp and projected symbol SK-DoubleSarafan.png|A reflected Sarafan Order symbol SK-LargeSarafanIdol.png|A large Sarafan Idol SK-Mural-KainVsSarafanLord.png|Mural of Kain's defeat to the Sarafan Lord SK-Murals-SarafanLordRevenge.png|Murals of the Sarafan Lord's revenge SK-Mural-SarafanFeathers.png|Mural of Sarafan impaling feathers, with other sarafan symbols SK-Dungeon.png|The Sarafan Dungeon SK-BoilingOilCauldrons.png|Cauldrons of "boiling oil" SK-Crossbow.png|A large crossbow SK-SolarSystem.png|"Solar System" diagram SK-Observatory.png|Umah imprisoned in Observatory with Telescope, Sarafan Sun and Moon symbols SK-ObservatoryRoof.png|Observatory Roof, with "Telescope Slot" and Sarafan stained glass window See also *''House of my Enemy (chapter)'' * Chapter 5: The Sarafan Keep - "House of My Enemy" Script at Nosgothic Realm. * Chapter 5: The Sarafan Keep - "House of My Enemy" Script at Dark Chronicle * Conversations in Nosgoth - Chapter Five at Dark Chronicle References Browse Category:Blood Omen 2 Category:Browse Category:Locations Category:Locations/Blood Omen 2 major locations Category:Locations/Blood Omen 2 Category:Locations/Villages